Internal-combustion engine.



E. M. BOU-RNQNVILLE. `1NTBRNAL GQMBUSTION' ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1. 1914.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

.'/V VEN TOR H: EL

` e Arm/mn B. M. BOURNONVILLE. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY L 1914.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m.. Mvwuwwww uws/won Arron/vn ias -vIr.LE, a citizen of the `United EUGENE M. EoUENoNvILLE, or JEESEYMCI'TY, NEW'JERSEY.

`INTERNALC0MEUsTroN Enorme.

To all whom it may eonceo'rn Be it known tlz'at I, EUGENE M. BoURNoN- States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have -invented` certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of

which the following is aspeciication.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efiicient rotaryvalve for internal combustion engines.

More particularly stated, my object has been to produce a construction which provides for effective and advantageous cooling of lthe valve, permits of low surface speed, guards against warping and bindlng, insures adequatev and advantageous lubrication of the surfaces of the valve and valve casing, and avoids accumulation of carbon thereon. The valve structure illustrated herein resembles in its main features that disclosed in my co-pending application, filed February 11, 1914, Serial No. 817,990, and' the broad claims generic to both-cases are contained herein. Both eases embody means in the casing of a rotary cylindrical valve for multicylinder engines whereby fuel gasescontaining a percentage of lubricant are conducted in contact with the surface of the vzulvethroughout its length, and are concerned more especially with a construction wherein the valve is cooled by fresh gases flowing through its interior and thence admitted' to an intake manifold, the valve having external pockets in its sides which alternately connect a single port in each cylinder with the intake manifold and with the exhaust. In the particular construction shojvn and claimedl in application Serial ho. 817,990 aforesaid, the intake manifold oommunicates with the cylindrical valve chamber by separate ports, and a special lubricating channel is provided for conducting the gases throughout the length of the surface of the valve.

In the construction shownherein and claimed in specific claims appended hereto the intake manifold itself is in open communication vfith the surfaceof the valve throughout its length and performs the lubricating function.

Thel present case also covers certain features, some ot' which are disclosed but not claimed in the other case, clnimstherefor being reserved for this application, relating to the automatic supply of the lubri- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.-

Appucatien mamy-1,1914. serial No. 848,351.

cant in such manner las to be--aspiratedby ythe current of fresh'gases drawn by the pis"- tons on their suction strokes, the division of -the valve into separate, interengaging sections one for each cylinder, whereby binding from warping is prevented, provisions for removing any carbon which on the surfaces of the valve and casing, the formation of the lateral pockets in the thickness of the walls of the valve so as to avoid overheating or warping from excessive local heating,.and the admission of the fuel gases to bothl end s of the intake manifold so as to equalize as to Vtemperature and quantityV the charges drawn lnto the several cylinders.

Other features will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

isa vertical longitudinal section throu h the engine and valve, a carbureter and a may collect- In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 orced feed lubricant supply. being represented valve and casing;

portion of one of the cylinders, the planeof the section intersectlng a pair of the pockets in th'e side of the valve; Fig. .4 is a `cross-sectional view taken through the `valve and casin mediate tw'o of the cylinders ands owing the water cooling passages; cross-section taken through the chamber shown at'the right-hand end of the valve in Figs. 1 and 2.

inders 1, containing reciprocating connected in the usual manner to a crank shaft. In the head of each cylinder is a single port 4, which serves both for intake and exhaust. These ports are of slot-like character, bein elongated lengthwise of the series of cylin verse direction.

The valve 5 -is disposed lengthwise over the heads of the cylinders, rotating within a suitable'casing 6. This casing is provided in the bottom with ports 4 of the saine dimensions asthe ports 4, with which they register, the ports 4 and 4*l together constituting a single passage or cylinder port for each cylinder.- In addition, the easing has -an intake manifold 11 at one side and exhaust ports 10 at the other side, leading to an exhaust manifold The valve is hollow, being formed with a central longitudinal passage or bore 7, which expistons 2 interand Fig. 5 is a` schematically in elevation; Fig. 2 is a horivzontal section through the Fig. 3 is a cross-section throughthe valve i and casing and the upper The engine comprises a plurality of cylers and narrow in the trans` y ing over eating andin particular excessive local heating withconsequent danger of distortion.

As a further prevention against distortion of the valve and in order to compensate for an distortion therein or in the casing, the va ve is made in separate sections, one for each engine cylinder, the abutting ends of the sections having intcrengaging toothed formations 30, which cause the sections to turn together as one somewhat flexible construction. These joints afford a slight amount of play, so that the sections can move to a limited extent angularly or laterally f with reference to each, so as to permit of independent expansion of the portion of the valve over each cylinder and prevent bind-y ing froml buckling or warping, which has 'hitherto proved a'serious difliculty in rotary.

valve construction for internal combustion engines. l

The internal passage? in the valve has means of communication with a suitable sourc'e of fuel gases, such as a carbureter 36; and at a remote oint is in communication with the manifol chamber 1l. The latter is formed by a lateral enlargement or extension of the wall of the valve casing, and is 'in open communication with the surface of Athe valve throughout the length of the lutter.

A pipe 37 and fitting 12 is shown connecting the carbureter with the open end of the valve casing, the adjacent ends of both the passage 7 and the manifold 11 being wide open to the interior of this fitting. At the opposite end of the valve, communication between said passage 7 and the manifold chamber is afforded by'a'chamber 13, which is formed Yby enlarging the internal dimen- `sions of 'the casing atl-this point, to receive the fresh gases emerging -from openings 14 formed through 'the walls of the valve. From this chamber the ases fiow into the other full-open end of t e manifold chamber. The latter thus iecei-ves its fresh gases from both ends, a factwhich is important since lit has the effect of equalizing' the charges drawn into the several cylinders, both as to temperature and quantity. The cross-sectional area of the bore of the valve and o f the inlets to the intake manifold are preferably approximately equal, though this may be varied, and the areas of the bore and Suitable provisions are made for waterjackcting the valve casing. As shown, the casing is seated on flanges 20 formed on the heads of the engine cylinders, and these flanges have, in addition to the ports 4, openings. 21 communicating with the engine water-jackets The'base of the valve casing is provided with registering. openings 22,

which are branched as'shown in Fig. 4, so-

as to open through opposite sides of the casing. The water thus permitted to flow around the valve casing is confined by a. sheet metal jacket 23, which is spaced from thc outside of the casing by suitablerib's 24 and posts 25. This jacket is preferably extended entirely around the casing, with its lateral portions brought beneath the basel thereof so as to be clamped between this base and the cylinder flanges 20. Suitable openings are formed in the sheet metal at the regions of the ports 4 and 10 and the openings 21,

22. As shown, the'jacket space is.,greater at the side of 'the casing having the exhaust ports 10 and the flange 26, to which the exhaust manifold 38 is secured. The ribs 24 extend around both sides of the valve'casing and reinforce the saine against expansion strains. 4

In the best embodiment of my invention there are two of the pockets 8 for each of the engine cylinders, each of these pockets serving alternately for intake and exhaust. The valve is thus rotated at one-quarter the speed of the crank shaft. By suitably proportioiiing the ports and ockets, the intake and exhaust can be caused) to open and close valve is subjected to the heat of the exhaust only once in four revolutions of the crank shaft. At the saine time the valve is4 kept cool by the constant passage of fresh. gases through its interior.

Lubrication is provided by introducing a,

suitable amount of lubricant into the' fuel, so that the manifold l1, extending throughout the length -of the casing and constantly filled with fresh gases traveling in contact with the surface of the valve, affords adequate lubrication tothe surfaces of the valve aliarse and casing. The lubricantl condensed and herefdeposited prevents sticking or burning and also opposes leakage around the valve` Automatic supply of the lubricant to the fuel `is secured in a simple manner and in accordance with the needs of thi engine by leading a pipe or nozzle 38 into the fresh gas duct intermediate the carburetor and valve, this nozzle terminating in a line oriiice which is in aspirating relation to the current of gases drawn by the pistons of the eng-ine and being supplied by a forced feed boiler, represented diagraniniatically at 39, which-f .is driven by the engine and pumps oil at a rate dependent upon the speed thereoi". For successful operation the oil to be thus vaporized by the current of fresh gases requires to be quite thin.

At the sides of the pockets the surface of the valve is' formed with ribbed areas 31, which are produced by making small parallel longitudinal channels, say of a width and depth of about a thirty-second of an inch and spaced apart about a sixteenth ol an inch. These ribbed areas serve to keep the inner surface of the valve casing free from carbon, but in order notl to become filled with carbon themselves they are confined to such portions of the circumference of the valve that when the explosion occurs and during the working stroke, a plain surface of the valve closes the cylinder port. During the compression strokes, however, the ribbed portions are opposite the cylinder ports, and the forcing of the uel gases into the chan nels which results is an advantagabecausc it promotes lubrication. In this connection the channels preferably extend at both ends somewhat beyond the valve pockets, so that the oil-bearing are forced into contact with portions of the inner surface of the casing which are not lubricated by the portions of trapped gases that'are carried by the pockets from the intake ports to the exhaust ports.

In order to scrape the valve free of any carbon which may collect thereon, a small channel el is formed in the inner surface of the casing at the top, and provided at one side with a scraping edge 40. This channel is open at both ends to lthe supplyr fitting l2 and the chamber 13, respectively, so that a current of fresh gases flows through it, thereby tending to remove any carbon taken up by the scraping edge and also eontribut` ing to the lubrication. ltpwill be noted that this cleaning provision is located at the top,

l wherethe Valve is pressed `against the casing by the force of the explosions, but the channel must not be too wide, else the bearing for the valve will be impaired.

In operation the valve turns in the direc tion of the arrow at one-quarter the speed of the crank shatt. Fresh ,eases are4 sucked from the carburetor tnroughout the length of the hollow interior or' the valve, cooling the saine. They thence pass in the reverse direction through the manifold chamber, to which gases are also admitted at the opposite end. The parts are so timed that one of the pockets 8 for each cylinder connects the cylinder valve with the intake manifold during the suction stroke; and during the compression and firing strokes the cylinder port is covered by one ot' the solid bearing surfaces between the pockets. During the exhaust stroke the other pocket connects the cylinder port with the exhaust, and during the next stroke,

this saine pocket connects the' cylinder port' with the intake, so that a new charge is drawn into the cylinder. During' the explosiony the pockets are disposed at the sides, s0 that the portion of the valve which transmits the thrust to the top of the casing possesses a full and unbroken bearing surface. Lubrication and cleaning of `the surfaces and other features of the operation have already been tally described.

What l claim as new is:

l. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality of cylinders having ports for intake and exhaust and pistons operative in the cylinders, oa rotary valve disposed lengthwise of the series or" cylinders, and a valve casing provided 'with means for conducting fresh fuel gases carrying a proportion of lubricant in contact with the surface of the valve throughout the length thereof. I

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality of cylinders having ports for intake and exhaust and pistons operative in the cylinders, of a rotary valve disposed lengthwise of the. series of cylinders, a valve casing having a 'passage extending continuously in open communication with the face of the valve throughout the length thereof, and arranged to be traversed lengthwise of the valve by fresh fuel gases drawn therethrough by the pistons 0n their suction strokes.

3. in an internal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality of cylinders having ports for intake and exhaust and pistons operative 1in the cylinders, of a rotary valve disposed lengthwise of the series of cylinders, a valve casing provided with means for conducting fresh fuel gases in contact withv the surface of the valve throughout the length thereof, and means for automatically supplyin lubricant so as to be aspirated by the frcs gases supplied to said conducting` means. i

4. In an internalcombustion engine, the combination with a plurality of cylinders each having a port serving for both intake and exhaust. and pistons operative in the cylinders, ot' a rotary valve extending lengthwise of the series of cylinders and which is a suction stroke, 80

having a longitudinal. passage in its interior and external pockets arranged to connect said cylinder ports alternately with intake and exhaust, a valve casing embodying a longitudinal intake manifold chamber in continuous open communication with the side of the valve substantially throughout the length thereof,-ineans of communication between said manifold chamber and the longitudinal passage in the valve, and means for supplying said manifold chamber and passage with fuel gases.

ln aninternal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality of cylinders having ports and pistons operative in the cylinders, of a rotary combined intake and exhaust valve extending lengthwise of the series of cylinders and having a longitudinal passage in its interior and external pockets, the' latter adapted to connect the cylinder ports alternately with intake and exhaust; suitable means for supplying the valve with fuel gases, and an intake manifold adapted to be connected with the cylinder ports by said valve pockets and having fuel gas inlets atboth ends and means of communication with said valve passage,

whereby fuel gases nass lengthwise through' the interior of the valve into the inta e manifold. A

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a lplurality of cylinders each having a port serving for both intake and texhaust, and pistons operative in thev cylinders. of a rotary valve extending lengthwise of the series of cylinders and having a` longitudinal passage iii its interior and external pockets arranged to connect said cylinder ports alternately with intake and exhaust, suitable means for supplying said longitudinal valve. passage with fue! gases at one end, a valve casing` embodying an intake manifold connected at one end with the remote end of said valve passage, and an inlet to the other ond ot'the mani fold from the fuel supplymeans.

7. ln an internal combustion engine having cylinders with ports, a valve casing eetending longitudinally of the s ries of cylinders and havingintake and exhaust passages, a rotary valve in said casingr having a central bore and external pockets in the thickness of its Walls for connecting said'eylthe casing and also provided with means of communication with an exhaust, a rotary valve in said casing having an internal lon- 9, ln an internal combustion engine, the' combination with a plurality of cylinders havin ports and pistons operative in the cylineers, oi an intake manifold, an exhaust,

a rotary valve extending lengthwise of the series of cylinders and having a longitudinal internal passage and external pockets in its sides, the latter adapted to connect the cylinder ports alternately with the intake and exhaust, suitable means for supplying fresh gases to one end of the' inteiiial passage of the valve, and connection between the other end of said passage and the intake manifold.

10. In an internal combustion engine having cylinders provided with suitable ports, a rotary combined intake and exhaust valve having a longitudinal passage in its interior and external pockets in its sides, the latter being adapted to connect the cylinder ports alternately with intake and exhaust; in combination with an enlarged 'chamber surrounding a portion of said valve, which at this point is previdedwith openings through its Walls, and means affording a longitudinal passage outside ofthe valve and in communication -vvith said chamber, said pockets connecting said outside passage and the cylinder ports at the proper times, and suitable means for supplying fuel gases to said passalgcaA inside and outside of the valve, said valve having a projection extending beyond said chamber and provided with a driving connection.

11. An internal combustion engine having a series of cylinders each having a port serving for both intake and exhaust, a rotary valve'extending lengthwise of the said series of cylinders and consisting of separate enga ging sections having interengaging formations at their abutting ends, one section for eaeh cylinder, said valve having a longitudinal pas-sage for fuel gasesiii its interior, and suitable means surrounding the valve and affording intake and exhaust passages, the former loe-ing` connected with said longitudinal passage in the valve, and the said sections of said valve having external lateral pockets which connect the cylinder ports with .said intake and exhaust passages at the proper times.

1Q. ln an internal combustion enginethe combination with the cylinders having pistons therein and ports serving both for i11- take and exhaust, of a valve casing having y ongitudinal channel with as to be opposite the cy intake and exhaust spaces, a rotary valve having a longitudinal passage in its interior connected with a source of supply of fresh gases and also with the intake space of said casing, said valve also havin@r lateral pockets for connecting said cylinder ports alternately with said intake and exhaust spaces, the valve being further provided on its surface with longitudinally-channeled areas,

said channeled areas being restricted to por-4 tions of the circumference of the .valve so` disposed as to be opposite said cylinder ports when the istons are on their compresl .S1011 strokes w ile during the explosion strokes the plain portions of the valve are opposite said ports.

13. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder, piston and cylinder port, a

`valve casing and a rotary cylindrical valve .therein controlling said port, said valve havlluga longitudinally channeled or ribbed area restricted to auch ortion of the valve index' port when the plston 1s on its compression stroke while during the explosion stroke the plain surface of the valve is opposite the port.

14. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder, a piston and a cylinder port, `airotary cylindrical valve controlling said ort, and a casing for saidu valve having a a. scraping edge opposite said port.

15. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder, a piston and a cylinder port, a rotary cylindrical valve controlling said port, a casing for said valve having a longitudinal channel with a scraping edge Oppoi site said port, and means whereby the piston on its suction stroke draws fresh gases through said channel.

disposed lengthwise -'16. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality of cylinders each having a common port for intake and exhaust, and pistons in said cylinders operative on a four stroke cycle, of a rotary valve of the series of cylinders andprovided with lateral pockets arranged to connect` the cylinder ports alternately with intake and exhaust at the proper times, and a valve casing having a passage connected with a source of fuel gases and arranged to conduct said gases lengthwise of the valve along and in contact with the surface thereof.

17. In an internal combustion engine comprising a plurality of cylinders each having a common port for intake and exhaust, a rotary valve extending lengthwise ofthe series of cylinders, a valve casing and longitudinal `intake and exhaust manifolds outside of the rotary valve, said valve having a longitudi- K nal internal passage and lateral pockets, the

latter adapted to connect the cylinder ports alternately with the intake and exhaust manifolds, means of communication between said internal valve passage and the intake manifold, and a suitable source fuel -vases connected with said passage and manifold, whereby fresh fuel gases flow lengthwise through the interior of the valve and thence into the intake manifold whence they are admitted by the valve pockets to the cylinders at the proper times.

In witness whereof name in the presence of nesses.

I have signed my two subscribing wit1 EUGENE M. BoURNoNvILLE. Witnesses E. GREENBERGER, M. M. BURNET.

of supply of 'zol 

